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Died 12/23/24
Handler – Officer Alan Ware
South Carolina K-9 Officer Killed
South Carolina sheriff emotionally announced the death of one of the department’s K-9 officers on Monday morning (December 23, 2024) – criticizing the “catch and release” system of so-called “justice” responsible for putting the juvenile triggerman back on the streets.Bumi – a Belgian Malinois who had been with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) for approximately three months – was fatally shot following a pursuit that began shortly before 2:30 a.m. EST in Columbia, S.C.According to RCSD sheriff Leon Lottt, deputies spotted a reportedly stolen vehicle on Sunday evening (December 22, 2024). Shortly thereafter, they deployed ’stop sticks’ to deflate the tires of the vehicle – which contained three suspects.As police closed in, one suspect remained in the vehicle while two fled the scene. RCSD K-9 officer Alan Ware and Bumi pursued the two fleeing suspects on foot – with the K9 running ahead of his handler. After hearing a series of gunshots, responding officers found Bumi having been hit three times – each bullet having bypassed the dog’s bulletproof vest.Bumi was transported to a veterinarian for treatment, but Lott said the bullets were “very fatal shots.”Lott said the 16-year-old suspect arrested at the scene has been charged with obstruction of justice and misprision of a felony.Expressing extreme frustration, Lott noted the suspect had a lengthy criminal history including a recent stay at the S.C. Department of Juvenile Justice (SCDJJ). He further noted that at the time of the shooting, SCDJJ had issued a pick-up order for the suspect – who was wearing an ankle monitor that hadn’t been charged since December 4, 2024.RCSD is currently searching for two additional suspects in connection with the incident – both of whom Lott described as black men between the ages of sixteen and nineteen years old.“We’re gonna find them,” Lott said. “So wherever you’re hiding, you’re not gonna hide far enough that we can’t find you whatever rock you’ve crawled underneath. We’re gonna lift that rock up and we’re gonna get you.”Bumi is the third RCSD K-9 officer killed in the line of duty this year. Lott noted the strength of the relationship between the K-9 officers and their handlers.“(Bumi) gave his life to protect his handler,” the sheriff said. “That deputy is willing to do the same thing to protect his canine. That’s a bond that is hard to imagine.”
